THE sister of a woman who battled breast cancer while pregnant will complete a skydive next month to raise money for a charity that supports sufferers of the disease.

Daredevil Natalie O’Neil will perform the 11,000 ft parachute jump at Black Knight's Parachute Centre, Lancaster, in aid of Breast Cancer Care, the UK’s only specialist breast cancer charity.

Ms O’Neill, from Farnworth, said she wanted to ‘give something back’ after medics saved the life of her beloved sister, Danielle.

The 36-year-old was diagnosed with the disease in April 2015, while pregnant with her daughter Bonnie Boo (Boo being Natalie’s nickname since childhood).

Danielle had Bonnie’s birth induced two months early so she was able to continue with chemotherapy treatment after her left breast was removed.

And this week the mum-of-two also had her right breast removed as she carries a gene that makes the developing breast cancer more likely.

Ms O’Neill said her skydive was a way of saying thank you to those who treated and cared for her sister while she battled the disease—particularly Claire Garney, consultant breast surgeon at Royal Bolton Hospital.

She said: “I wanted to do this because of all the support she has had from the doctors and nurses.

I just wanted to give something back, so I decided to do a skydive to raise a little bit of money to give back.”

“Our dad died of oesophageal cancer 16 months ago, it’s a very touchy subject for us but I’m always trying to do things for different charities.

“I did a bike ride from Southport to Walkden, a half marathon in the Lake District for The Christie and have climbed Kilimanjaro.”

Ms O’Neil, who works as a painter and decorator, said she, Danielle and mum Marilyn have all supported each other during the difficult time.

She said: “It’s just the daily struggle of being poorly and weak with the chemo, it’s heartbreaking, cancer is scary in itself, just hearing the word terrifies people, and because of the fact we lost our dad, it really terrifies us, because I don’t want to be losing a sister as well.”

She continued: “When I put the fundraising page online it broke her heart to see the reasons why I’m doing it. It’s just been awful having to watch my sister lose her hair, she is completely stunning, so to go through what she has, and being pregnant as well, having to watch my sister be that poorly but she never complained.”

And Ms O'Neil added that Danielle’s story had given hope to other sufferers she has met while undergoing treatment.

She said: “When she had Bonnie Boo she was cheering them all up, they could all see what she had been through, she has been an inspiration, there was a sad beginning but a happy ending.”

Her skydive takes place on July 8, but the fearless 37-year-old insisted she was not worried about her first ever parachute jump.

She said: “It sounds odd, but I’m not nervous, it’s something I have always wanted to do, so I’m properly excited to do it.”

And Ms O’Neill added that ‘it would mean the world’ if she were able to hit her £500 fundraising target.

To donate visit justgiving.com and search for Boo O’Neil Jump for Danielle.